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- Tuesday - June 24, 2025 - Abbotsford apartment project reflects density changes
Tuesday - June 24, 2025 - Abbotsford apartment project reflects density changes
Tyler Olsen
June 24, 2025
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🌦 High 22C
Good morning!
I spent the last week at a gathering of journalists and professionals involved in wildfire-related jobs. There were plenty of interesting discussions related to how wildfires are covered by the media—and how they are perceived by the public at large. One underlying theme was that most people don’t really understand modern fires, and the limited ability of humans to stop them when they hit their maximum intensity. There are trade-offs that must be made and one positive action can have negative repercussions.
The longer we talked, though, the more I realized that many wildfire challenges are incredibly similar to those that confront those trying to mitigate flooding. Sometimes the only course of action is to try to get people out of the way of nature. But doing so is harder than many—both non-experts and scientists and professionals—acknowledge.
– Tyler
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Traffic & Weather
🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope
🚘 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google, and find DriveBC’s latest updates.
🛣 Click here for links to road cameras across the Fraser Valley, including those for the Coquihalla, Highway 7, Hope-Princeton, Fraser Canyon, and Highway 1 in Langley and Abbotsford.
News
No money for new valley schools
The provincial government has rejected the Chilliwack School District’s request for funding to expand Vedder Middle School and several others in the city. 📷 Grace Kennedy
No new schools for you.
The provincial government’s school building spree looks set to grind to a halt in the fast-growing Fraser Valley, with Victoria telling the region’s five school districts it won’t green-light new major projects this year.
Last year, the school districts submitted capital plans with a combined $1.5 billion of schools, sites, and expansions for which they hoped to receive funding. This spring, the province told the districts that there is no money for new schools in the valley.
In letters sent this spring to school boards in Langley, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission, and the Agassiz-Hope area, the province blames school fires and a “challenging fiscal environment” for its inability to set money aside for new and expanded schools.
The lack of funds for new schools follows a decade of population growth in the Fraser Valley that has prompted the province to promise to increase school facilities in the region.
Related
Need to Know
🏆 The Abbotsford Canucks won the Calder Cup with a come-from-behind win [Sportsnet]
🚗 A lack of a deal with Metro Vancouver means Langley’s Canada D’eh car show won’t take place this year [Langley Advance Times]
👎 A Mission senior lost more than $50,000 in a scam [Mission Record]
🚔 A thief stole two laptops and two tablets from Hope Search and Rescue, but three of the items have already been returned [Hope Standard]
💰 Parking at the Fort Langley National Historic Site will no longer be free for those not visiting the historic location [Langley Advance Times] / Entry to the site will be free this year, however [CTV]
👏 Two buddies from Mission and Harrison Mills split a $1 million lottery win [Mission Record]
📊 Aldergrove-based Otter Co-op lost $5 million last year [Langley Advance Times]
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The Agenda
A proposed six-storey apartment building on Whatcom Road would have 100 units. 📷 City of Abbotsford
Public hearing slated for Whatcom apartment project
Abbotsford council is set to consider a proposal to build a large apartment building at the base of Sumas Mountain near Castle Fun Park. Because the project requires amending the city’s official community plan, a public hearing will be held this evening.
Citadel Whatcom GP, whose director runs homebuilder Citadel Properties, hopes to construct a six-storey 100-unit building on Whatcom Road. Around half of the units would have two bedrooms. The property had previously been designated for single-family uses, but was next to land on which townhouses are permitted.
Although a final decision has yet to be made, staff have recommended its approval. The recommendation reflects the city’s plans to broadly permit higher densities, especially along busy roads and near commercial centres. And the OCP change requested by the developer is also slated to proceed if council approves planners’ draft updates to the document. Those updates are going through a final round of consultation before staff approves a final plan later this year.
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🗓 Things to do
Langley Canada Day: Langley Township’s Canada Day festivities will be held at McLeod Athletic Park on 216 Street. The event will include live entertainment, artisans, and a drone light show at 10:15pm. The full schedule is here.
School carnival: Hope Secondary hosts a family carnival today at 5pm, with an array of kid-friendly games, activities, and food. Details online.
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